GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- An employee of the Hall County Jail has been fired for hitting an inmate during a scuffle.

It was the second time jailer Dustin Charlton struck an inmate, according to Hall County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks.

The fight for which Charlton was fired happened Sept. 8. Wilbanks said Charlton and the unnamed inmate got into a physical fight. After the inmate was handcuffed and brought under control, Charlton hit him in the head.

Charlton was suspended without pay for five days after hitting a different inmate in 2010, Wilbanks said.

"Charlton's actions were completely unacceptable and do an extreme disservice to those we are sworn to protect, as well as those officers who serve honorably," sheriff's office Chief Deputy Col. Tony Carter said in a statement. "We expect all employees to be positive representatives of the sheriff's office and conduct themselves in a professional manner."

Wilbanks said Charlton was hired by the sheriff's office in May of 2010. He was fired after an internal investigation into the Sept. 8 fight.

Both the Hall County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are still looking in to the incident.